Impact of enzyme preparation and degree of hydrolysis on peptide profile and nitrogen solubility of sodium caseinate hydrolysates

The solubility of casein ingredients is limited under certain pH conditions. Therefore, sodium caseinate (NaCN) was hydrolysed at laboratory scale with four enzyme preparations (Alcalase, Prolyve, FlavorPro Whey and pepsin) yielding hydrolysates having degree of hydrolysis (DH) values between 0.19 ± 0.11 and 19.25 ± 0.73%. The nitrogen solubility index (NSI) over the pH range 2.0–8.0 was affected by (i) the specificity of the enzyme preparation, (ii) the DH and (iii) the presence of unhydrolysed NaCN within the hydrolysate. The trends observed at laboratory scale (<5 L) were also seen with the semi‐pilot‐scale (300 L) hydrolysates generated with Alcalase and FlavorPro Whey. Removal of unhydrolysed NaCN from the FlavorPro Whey hydrolysate using a 5‐kDa ultrafiltration (UF) membrane increased NSI. This study has highlighted the importance of carefully selecting the proteolytic preparation along with the DH to design casein‐based ingredients with enhanced technofunctional properties.     

Rapid, State-of-the-Art Techniques for the Detection of Toxic Chemical Adulterants in Water Systems

Recent events have heightened awareness concerning potential hazardous threats to U.S. populace. The causes of concern include a possible contamination of water systems through harmful chemical agents resulting in sickness or death among consumers. To forestall the consequences of high-risk chemical contaminants that can potentially pollute our water resources, swift intervening measures need to be taken as a first line of defense. This aspect of environmental protection involves the design, testing, and installation of detection devices that protect U.S. water supply systems from toxic chemicals. These sensing devices are based on physical, chemical, biological, and radiological methods of detection. Traditional analytical tools are rather cumbersome, time-consuming, and expensive to operate. On the other hand, contemporary trends in the fight against toxic chemical threats to domestic and industrial water facilities comprise of sensors designed to achieve rapid, highly sensitive, and cost-effective detection, and intervention. This paper samples the state-of-the-art in detection techniques for toxic chemical antagonists with emphasis on heavy metals and cyanide compounds that can be potentially deleterious to U.S. water systems. The goal is to identify rapid, realistic and reliable methods, as early warning systems, to mitigate the effects of toxicants in water systems.     

CO2 assisted synthesis of silk fibroin driven robust N-doped carbon aerogels coupled with nickel–cobalt particles as highly active electrocatalysts for HER

Hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), has been considered as an ideal alternative energy system to alleviate the global energy crisis. Unfortunately, the rational design of a cost-effective, highly active and stable electrocatalyst remains a tough challenge. In this work, a CO₂ assisted synthesis of N- doped carbon aerogel derived from silk fibroin (SFCA) without any additives was used to anchor Nickel–Cobalt (NiCo) nanoparticles as an HER electrocatalyst in basic medium (1 M KOH). The obtained SFCA-NiCo electrocatalyst demonstrated outstanding electrochemical performance having an onset potential of 52 mV and a low overpotential of 179 mV at current density of 10 mA cm^?2, whilst exhibiting long term stability when tested for 24 h. The outstanding electrocatalytic performance marks SFCA-NiCo as a favourable electrocatalyst for HER and the synthesis strategy paves way for constructing novel catalysts even for other areas.     

Self-help Shelter and Related Programs in Liberia

In this article, we investigate self-help strategies that have been implemented in Liberia, a small West African country. Liberia, like other African countries, encountered problems in implementing self-help strategies such as sites and services projects and community-upgrading activities. High-ranking leaders were reluctant to support government officials seeking to gain acceptance for the sites and services concept. Housing providers also faced land acquisition problems in that they could not obtain large tracts of vacant land near employment locations for new shelter projects. Yet, when management, maintenance, and cost-recovery problems emerged in the midst of community-upgrading activities, government officials with limited financial resources found appropriate solutions to overcome them.     

Conflicts and governance of landfills in a developing country city, Accra

A key challenge associated with rapid urbanization in much of the developing world (including Ghana) is the disposal of municipal solid waste. This has engendered numerous conflicts between municipal authorities and communities located near landfills. While these conflicts have attracted much media concerns in Ghana, not enough academic research has been carried out to unearth the root causes and consequences of these conflicts. More importantly, increased urbanization and concomitant growth of real estates in peri-urban areas of large Ghanaian cities such as Accra, have meant that landfills must compete with residential land use resulting in closer proximity of landfill sites to residential neighbourhoods. Thus, increasingly due to the intense competition for land the capacity of the peri-urban areas of large cities to absorb urban-generated waste is compromised. This paper attempts to bridge this knowledge gap by highlighting the issues of conflicts and governance using two peri-urban landfills in Accra as a case study. It argues that landfill-related conflicts are the result of the existing land ownership system and the consequent outcomes of poor spatial planning and management of metropolitan fringe areas. The study concludes that resolving landfill-related conflicts must start with tackling the land question which should then create a space for promoting forward planning involving the active participation of chiefs and community members. Again, studies on the acquisition, management and governance of landfills in the developed world could provide useful lessons for Ghana and other developing countries.     

Ethnic Residential Clusters in Nima,Ghana

The global debate on ethnic residential segregation has focused more on the developed world, and little is known about similar patterns and processes in African cities. This is in spite of the fact that many African cities are now ranked among the world’s most rapidly growing and least regulated urban areas. Indeed, the dynamics of ethnic residential segregation have scarcely been studied in African cities. The little literature available has looked at ethnic segregation between the neighbourhoods of major cities. This paper goes beyond current literature by examining the pattern and processes of ethnic clustering within a multi-ethnic community. Our goal in this paper is to answer the question as to whether within a multi-ethnic urban neighbourhood the major ethnic groups are residentially clustered, isolated or dispersed. The focus is on Nima, a major slum community of Accra, Ghana. The findings of the study show that even though Nima is a multi-ethnic community, some level of ethnic clustering can be discerned. These patterns are linked to the history of settlement formation, religious affiliation and ethnic or place of origin of earlier house owners.     

Cyanide Contents of Leaves of Commonly Consumed Cassava Varieties from Three Geographical Regions of Ghana

Consuming a cyanogenic plant is an etiological factor to the persistence of iodine deficiency in the post salt iodization phase. Ghana, notably the Northern belt, still reports of iodine deficiency after 14 years of mandatory consumption of iodized salt by an Act of Parliament. The study aimed at determining the cyanide contents of leaves of commonly consumed cassava varieties in Ghana and investigating the effects of some environmental factors on cyanide content. Three communities each from Southern, Middle and Northern Ghana served as the study sites from where young, non-diseased and fully-spread cassava leaves were sampled from plants of commonly consumed cassava varieties. Cyanide was analyzed by the standard color~metric method based on the chloramine-T/pyridine-barbituric acid protocol （4500-CN E）. Cassava leaves from Northern Ghana had significantly higher mean cyanide content （177.22 ± 20.82 ppm） than those from Middle （130.83± 33.00 ppm） and Southern Ghana （127.24 ± 37.54 ppm） （P 〈 0.001）. Two-factor ANOVA showed significantly higher adverse environmental effects on cyanide contents of leaves of unimproved cassava varieties than improved ones （R2 = 0.627, P = 0.023）. From multiple regression analysis, temperature was the most significant environmental factor explaining 33% of the variability in cyanide content （R2 = 0.331, P = 0.002）, followed by altitude （R2 = 0.106, P = 0.049） and rainfall （R2 = 0.084, P = 0.062）. The high cyanide contents of cassava leaves from Northern Ghana, due principally to the high atmospheric temperature, may be a contributory factor to the high prevalence of goiter and the persistence of iodine deficiency in that geographic region.